Wow... they have tweaked the recipe again. I think they have upped the peaches and the pecans. Just a little bit of hop and spice in the background. Very sweet but not overly so. Very smooth. Also very affordable.

My only gripe is that they do use "natural flavorings" and "caramel color" according to the label. This made a slight dent in the overall score.

Review of 12-4-2012
AP: 4.0, AR: 4.5, F: 4.5, MF: 4.0, OA: 4.5

I think they changed the recipe since 2009 because I really like this tasting (and I didn't like this beer when I had it in 2009).

The aroma is very fruity (definitely some ripe peaches) and some wheaty malt goodness.

Appearance has changed. This is now a shade lighter than Shiner Bock (rather than darker back in 2009).

Flavor is fantastic. Yes, there are peaches (ripe juicy ones) and pecans, but there is also some faint spiciness, and some heffeweizen-ish twang. Rich and sweet but not overly so. Pecan and peaches are noticeable in the finish. Not much hops but maybe a smidgen of cloves and cinnamon.

Mouthfeel is much improved. Smooth and NOT over carbonated (as it was back in 2009).

Overall, this is one of the best beers I have had from Shiner in some time. I don't know what they did to the recipe (or if the 2009 tasting was from a bad batch), but I like this beer in 2012! This beer should get the "Most Improved" award for sure.

Review of 12-6-2009
AP: 4.0, AR 3.5, F 3.0, MF 2.0 OA 2.5
This is a strange beer. I've liked Shiner's winter seasonals in the past, and I generally like fruit beers, but this one doesn't quite work for me.

Aroma is faint, maybe some peaches. The flavor to me is sorta confused, and is further thrown off by the excessive carbonation. Maybe there is twinge of peaches (more in the aftertaste though), roasted malt. The bottle says there are pecans in it, but I can't taste them. Maybe a little bit of spice in there somewhere.

I don't know. This beer seemed to need a little more something, maybe a tiny bit sweeter...

Ok, as I drink more of it, it gets better. Maybe the carbonation is fading off as I drink more. But really they should have gone for more of a creamy mouthfeel than the highly carbed one.

Probably too harsh on this. It's a good value for the price, but I guess I've been spoiled by Shiners other recent offerings like Commemorator.

Shiner Holiday Cheer brewed by Spoetzl Brewery / Shiner, with an ABV of 5.40% This brew pours out a nice brown color with a nice off white head. The smell of Holiday Cheer is rich with grapefruit citrus, peaches. There is also a nice mix of grains,malts , and hops. It is different but in a good way. There is a lot going on in the smell of this brew. The smell of this brew is really inviting. Now for the taste, it is rich with flavors, you first pick up on the fruit sweetness. Then you pick up on the grains and malts. I really like how this brew pulls everything together. There is nothing overpowering about this brew, this brew has a super nice balance to it. I like how rich this brew is but yet it is so smooth . I can't get over how smooth this brew goes down. The month feel of Shiner Holiday Cheer is Bold, Rich , Clean, Smooth, and Refreshing. Overall I'm giving Shiner Holiday Cheer a 4.75 out of 5. I would buy this brew again. Spoetzl Brewery / Shiner, did a real nice job with this brew. If you are looking for a different type of Holiday brew look this one up.

A - Poured thicker than anticipated, which was a welcome revelation compared to previous renditions of SHC.
S - The creamy brown sugar, caramel, and peachy notes can knock your socks off if you're not careful. Very forward with smell, but doesn't overwhelm.
T - Such a wonderful departure from the previous version of SHC. Mild, but thick warm-your-fireplace-and-get-those-chesnuts-roasting start. I was so much caught off guard by the new flavor that I had to have another to assure myself I wasn't dreaming. Sweet, peachy, dessert notes to start with a wooden, nutty finish thanks to the pecan.
M - Deceivingly smooth and complex. I cannot attribute the carbonation to my pour, the bottling, or coincidence, but the lightness of it was surprising.
O - I was monumentally surprised at the changes in SHC for '11. It was a delight. It was impressive and will replace all other cozy, holiday beverages in my household.

Poured this in a tall slim 12oz glass. Has a very airy bubbly head too it. Almost like a soda. The mouth feel of it is kind of like that too, very carbonated. BUT, that is in no way a negative take on it. Just a bit different for a beer.

The flavor is unique and delicious. Peaches... Big peach taste. You can some what taste the pecans in it and a little spice of some sort. It definitely screams Christmas. Unfortunately is is a seasonal, but if you see a 6 pack in the store during the holidays, it is a must to try with friends of family.

I thought at first after reading the label I might be turned off by peaches. I don't know if it's the batch I bought or not, but I can't really detect any peaches in it or it could be just a great balance that I can't detect it.

It pours a great color of a deep red.

Smell is very good which reminds me of Shiner.

Taste is very good. I like this brew best out of all the Shiner beers. Very crisp with spices.

This is a great beer for its price range. For only about $1 a beer, it's absolute joy. You can't really buy a beer this good for that kind of price, so I take that into account when I'm doing this review.

As others have mentioned, it's got a good, dark amber color. Probably not a true dunkelweizen, because it's obviously filtered. That's probably my only complaint with it. Others have said it is very peach-forward, but I disagree, and admire the depth of the pecan flavor. I actually could not smell or taste the peach until the VERY thick, creamy head had dissolved, which can take quite a while, and even after it's mostly gone, there will be little islands of froth on top. After that, though, it certainly has a very fruity scent, but I don't get a really distinct peach flavor. My boyfriend found it more apricot with some prunes. To me, it's just "fruity". The lacing is GORGEOUS on this beer, and adheres to the glass for a long time. It's definitely sweet on the aftertaste, but not in a bad way, and the 22 IBU as listed on the label is spot-on correct. But overall the thing that impresses me most is the mellow, pecan-y taste. I grew up in the South and remember eating pecans by the handful, because they're practically free down there. (Not like up north, where they're an asinine $8 a pound.) You might have to be from the deep South- Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia- to pick up the subtle characteristics of pecan that are so well incorporated. I think a lack of recognition of these subtle flavors might be why so many who enjoy this beer are saying it's more peach forward. They just can't suss out pecans from the malt/ wheat/ hops, which it blends very well with. But to someone who grew up snacking on the abundance of pecans from random trees in the deep south like I did, the flavor of natural pecan is going to be right in your face, very noticeable and distinct. And that's okay, we all have different experiences and palettes. People in California or New York might eat candied pecans for a treat, or toss some on a salad, maybe know them in cookies and pastries, but I don't know any (I talk to a lot of people online) who would just sit around on long, hot summers, cracking pecans out of a 50 lbs sack that was hand gathered only days ago, and eating them for a meal. To say I am intimate with pecan's flavor is an understatement. Although it is a tender, mild nut, I know its every tiny nuance, and can pick it away from the scent of grains like a blood hound.

If you enjoy Abita Pecan, this is even more pecan flavored than that, and I think, much tastier overall.

The aroma on this beer is absolutely wonderful. The peaches really shine through and smell fresh and bright. A bit of nutty maltiness is detectable, but not sure I can actually pick out any pecan aroma.

Mmmmm, delicious. Nutty sweet malts come out to play a bit more in the flavor with the peaches still being highly prominent. Pecan flavor is definitely noticeable if you are looking for it. Tangy, sweet, tart and crisp are all good descriptors here.

This is a love it or hate it kind of beer. I am not a huge Shiner fan, but I really dig this beer. They really stepped out of their comfort zone with this one, and I could not be happier they did so. An odd choice for a holiday beer? Yes. But is it delicious? Hell yea, damn near chuggable. I freaking went through over a case of this and hope they release it again next year. Important to note that it does not age well, as it really loses the peachy brightness of the beer.